Washboard



R. H. MILLER WASHBOARD. APPLICATION FILED mmz, 1921. RENEWED Dec. 1, 1921.

1,421,094. Patented June 27, 1922.

Eli/1155267,

rr STATES" PATENT oF icE.

ROBERT E. MILLER, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GEQBGE SHOE- MAKER, OF DALTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHBOARD.

Specification, of Letters Patent Pate1itQYJlll1e 27 1922 Application filed. January 12, 1921, Serial No. 436,726. Renewed December l, 1921. Serial no. 519,252.

T 0 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that 1, ROBERT H. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawannaand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful ashboard, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to washboards, one

of its objects being to provide a board with a soap receiving recess having an arrange of this character which is simple and inexpensive in construction and which will not injure the fabrics being rubbed.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and inshown.

In said drawings Figure l is a front elevation of the washboard.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the soap receiving portion of the washboard, portions being broken away.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3, Figure 2.

Figure t is a section on line 4-4, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the combined clamping and backing plates.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the frame of the washboard, the same being of the usual construction and provided with a rubbing surface 2 of any form desired. Located at the upper end of the rubbing surface 2 is a cross strip 3 and interposed between this cross strip and the top strip 4 are side pieces 5 forming an opening 6 therebetween which extendsfrom the strip 3 to the strip 4. A recess 7 is formed in the top strip 4; over the opening 6 and secured withinthis recess is a leaf spring 8 the end of which extends downwardly as shown particularly in Figure 2.

Formed within the side walls of the opening 6 are parallel grooves 9 and slidably mounted within these grooves are flanges 10 extending from the side walls 11 of combined backing and clamping plates 12, These plates are arranged one back of the other and each is provided, in addition to its side wallsll, with a-bottomflange 13 and'a top flange 14.. Likewise a finger receiving opening 15 is formed in each of the plates near the bottom edge thereof.

As shown in Figure i the plates are arranged one behind the other and it is to be understood that one or more of these plates can be raised within the opening 6 so as to bring the top flanges 14 of the plates against the end of the spring 8 and place said spring under tension or compression.

The space provided under the plates when they are raised is of suflicient size to receive a cake of soap indicated at S in Figure 3. If the cake is of full size all of the plates are raised except the back plate, as shown in Figure '3 and the cake of soap is placed under these elevated plates and against the back plate which has not been raised. The end of the spring 8, bearing downwardly on the elevated plates will cause said plates to bind upon the cake and hold it securely in position with its front face located where it can be contacted by the fabrics as they are brought upwardly from the rubbing surface. As the cake becomes Worn it can be pushed forwardly by inserting a finger through the opening 15 in the back plate and another plate can be lowered back of the cake. This operation can be continued until the cake has been worn to a thin wafer.

' As the opening 6 extends entirely through the device it will be seen that a cake of soap can be inserted into the opening from either side so that either side of the washboard can thus be used in the manner hereinbev opening above said surface for the reception of a cake of soap, of combined backing and clamping plates slidably mounted Within the opening, and yielding means for pressing the plates against an inserted cake when the plates are moved out of normal position.

2. In a Washboa-rd the combination with a rubbing surface, there being an opening above said surface for the reception of a cake of soap, combined backing and clamping plates slidably engaging opposed Walls of the opening, said plates being shiftable to receive a cake thereunder, and means for yieldingly engaging the shifted plates to bind them upon the cake thereunder.

3. The combination With a Washboard having an opening extending therethrough for the reception of a cake of soap, there being parallel grooves in opposed Walls of the opening, of combined backing and clamping plates extending transversely of the opening, lateral flanges upon'the'plates slidable Within the grooves, said plates being separately slidable to permit the insertion of a cake thereunder in the opening, and yielding means secured Within the opening for bearing upon the shifted plates to bind them upon the cake.

4. The combination With a Washboard having an opening extending therethrough for the reception of a cake of soap, there being parallel grooves in opposed Walls of the opening, of combined backing and clamping plates extending transversely of the opening, lateral flanges upon the plates slidable Within the grooves, said plates being separately slidable to permit the insertion of a cake thereunder in the opening, and yielding means secured Within the opening for bearing upon the shifted plates to bind them upon the cake, there being finger receiving openings Within the plates, and top and bottom flanges extending from the plates.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT H. MILLER.

WVitnesses G. W. SHonMAKER, L. O. RADLE. 

